Luxury Car Makers Brace for Slower China Sales

By

Colum Murphy

Updated April 21, 2013 7:49 p.m. ET

SHANGHAI—BMW AG said it expects slower sales growth in China this year as premium-car makers grapple with a slowdown in economic growth and intensifying competition in one of their most lucrative markets.

The German auto maker said at the Shanghai auto show over the weekend that it expects China sales growth in the upper single digits. BMW's sales in China increased about 40% last year to roughly 326,000 vehicles.